We Have Seen Better Days
by Sierra Sutherwinds
Summary: The world crumbles over Newkirk in more than a way. An entry to Hogan's Heroes Short-Story Speed-Writing Tournament.


**First line from:** _Il compagno Don Camillo _(or _Comrade Don Camillo_) by Giovannino Guareschi

**We Have Seen Better Days**

_The bomb exploded on a Tuesday around noon, when the newspapers arrived. Pieces_ of paper flew around like confetti. All the windows at the railway station broke and smoke began to come out. Carter and LeBeau looked at the turmoil from a hofbrau.

"Newkirk!" cried LeBeau to Carter and both ran outside.

* * *

**12 hours before the bomb**

"What is it?" Hogan approached the radio console. Newkirk looked upset.

"He knows," said Kinch.

"How?"

"You didn't think you'd keep this from me, did you?"

Hogan shrugged. "Newkirk, it took months to decipher that code. One false move and we lose everything."

"In 72 hours I'll lose everything!" Newkirk slammed the table with his hand.

"Calm down! This was supposed to be top secret. I shouldn't be discussing it with you. You must understand that we do as much as we can. An alert to the city and the Luftwaffe will know about the code. They will change it again, that's 12 months in Intelligence work."

"But all that people..."

"Maybe our artillery will intercept the bombers before they hit Stepney, let's hold on to that."

Newkirk's face went blank.

"With all due respect, sir. I'd like to ask for my transfer, back to England.."

* * *

**2 minutes after the bomb.**

The darkness dimmed as Newkirk's eyes got used to it. His ears hurt and could not hear anything but his own voice.

As he began to rise, pain pulled him back to the ground. He reached to touch his legs and found a concrete beam instead.

"Blimey!" He tried to move again.

"Halt!" Someone yelled at him.

"What?" Newkirk turned as much as he could. He saw a male torso and one hand in German uniform grabbed his.

"Your legs- are over mine! It really hurts when you move!"

"Well sorry, I didn't look where I was landing."

"Can you move to your right? I think I might get up if your legs slip away a little."

"There's a big something pushing me down against you, sorry."

"Scheiβe!"

"You took the words off my mouth, mate."

"Hey, you're a Brit?"

Newkirk bit his lips. He was in civilian clothes to meet someone with a message. He looked around for a piece of paper he had been reading before the blast but it was gone. "Where is it?"

"Newkirk, is that you?" Carter stretched his hand.

"Andrew, you're all right. Where's LeBeau?"

"Behind me. Have you seen Hans?"

"No."

Carter lit up a match and took a quick glance. "Wow, I think we have a problem."

Newkirk saw the concrete beam. "Suppose, I'll stay around for a while."

Hans and LeBeau appeared with an oil lamp. "We have to crawl to pass the entrance. It'll take a while for the rescue teams to get here," said Hans.

"What are we going to do about roll call-?"

Newkirk shushed him. "Gentlemen, may I introduce you to a new friend?" He pointed at the man next to him, squeezed against the wall. "I didn't get your name, mate."

"Karl Reisenmaier. Excuse me for not getting up, your friend is in my way."

"A German soldier," Carter whispered.

"We all see that, Andrew, thank you very much." Newkirk moaned a little as he shifted. "He also has a very good ear for accents."

LeBeau and Hans stared at the man smiling at them. "You're not from here."

"Great, Newkirk, now we have to watch what we say," said LeBeau.

"Sure, that's how I planned it," Newkirk rolled his eyes.

"Don't mind me please, I'm just getting curious." Karl smiled. "Are you spies?"

"We're not that interesting, we're just a bunch of guys who-"

"Carter! It's enough for him to know our names, don't you think?" Newkirk winced in pain.

"Does it hurt, Brit? Thank your own people for it," Karl grinned. "Motherless children, people losing their homes...You must be terribly proud."

Newkirk clenched his teeth. "You started it all, dropping your bombs in London."

"That makes us even then."

"Since they're going to be stuck with each other for a while, they should get along better."

"Carter is our expert in Public Relationships," LeBeau told Hans.

"Come on, Carter, let's dig an exit before they get too comfortable," said Hans.

* * *

**6 hours before the bomb.**

"Hans is our driver, he will pick you up at 1130 hours. 1150 hours, you'll meet your contact at the railway station in Freegstadt." Carter and LeBeau were at the table; Newkirk watched from a distance. "Would you care to join us?" asked Hogan. The Englishman came to sit on Carter's bunk. "You'll pick up the list. You must be back 1210 hours sharp. Klink will be in staff meetings all day, you won't be missed. Any questions?"

"Isn't it too risky going out in daylight?" Carter asked.

"Hans says that the man in Freegstadt requested it," Kinch said.

Hogan folded maps and other papers. "You'll dress as civilians; keep your weapons concealed and don't talk to strangers." He waited for Carter and LeBeau to leave. "I'm sorry I can't grant your wishes, Newkirk. I can't spare any of you at this moment."

Newkirk shrugged. "I understand."

"I want you to know that we are doing as much as we can to-"

"I don't want to talk about that anymore." Newkirk got up. "If you don't mind, I've got to get ready."

* * *

**20 minutes after the bomb**

Newkirk woke up. Had he been dreaming? He opened his eyes but the darkness did not allow to see much in front of him. Memories came back. He was not at the barracks, he was in a railway station, trapped under tons of debris and concrete.

"Newkirk?" Karl called. "Were you dreaming? I heard you scream."

"I was singing. Stop staring at me." He looked around for his friends. "Did I say anything?"

"Besides the screaming?" Karl grinned. "It's okay, I've heard Brits noisier than you."

"Just tell me if I bloody said something!" He turned and his injuries shot pain all through.

"All right, don't die on me," Karl said. "You said a name." He frowned. "Marliss? Marlin?"

"Mavis," Newkirk said.

"Why are you afraid of talking in your dreams?"

Newkirk sank back but a disturbing idea came to his mind. He frantically called for his friends.

"What is it, Peter?" LeBeau came and took his hand. "You're cold."

"You too," he gasped. "What's going on?"

"The rescue brigade is getting people out. It's a matter of minutes for them to come this way."

"Listen, Louie. You can't stay. As soon as they come in, you and Carter have got to go out."

"No way," Carter said coming closer. "We won't leave you."

"I'm not alone, Hans will stay with me."

"And I'm here too."

Newkirk chuckled. "See? Karl isn't going anywhere either."

"Peter-"

"No, Andrew. The col-," he stopped and corrected. "The gov'nor needs to know what happened."

Carter sighed. "We'll come back as soon as possible. Okay?"

Hans saw the Englishman stared after his friends as they left, before letting his head drop backwards in pain.

"Hans." He reached inside the inner pocket of his jacket for his knife. "Take this."

"What for?" Hans frowned. "I don't think I need one."

"Listen-" Newkirk gasped. "I'm losing it here. I could start saying things I shouldn't be saying-" He stared at Hans until he remembered the part of their mission when Newkirk had to read and memorize a list of names.

"That's why you send your friends away?" Hans managed to whisper instead of yelling.

"I couldn't ask them to do it. They would never go with it."

"And what makes you thing I will? Because we've just met? Do you think I'm capable of such a thing?"

"No," the pain just cut Newkirk's breath away. "Hans, that thing I've read is ruddy important for both of us. If I talked to the wrong people-" He coughed. "Tell me that you'll do it, please."

Hans gave up. "I promise," he said, tucking the knife in his belt.

Newkirk leaned back, satisfied. "Now- stay close- and kick me if I talk in my sleep-" He close his eyes and was lost to the world.

"What was all that about?" Karl asked. "The Englander is losing his mind."

"You stay away from this, we don't need your damn nose in our business." Hans did not want to antagonize the German soldier. "All right, I know that in a way, you're in the same boat as we. But that doesn't give you a free pass to our conversations, so, back off, Karl."

The German soldier leaned back.

* * *

**20 minutes before the bomb**

They drove through the city, unable to believe what they saw. Broken glass and concrete lay everywhere. People walked through the debris. Newkirk had seen scenes like this in his own country; cultural differences aside, the anguish looked familiar.

"What happened here?" asked Carter.

"Allied raid. It was last night... They come several days a week," explained Hans." The railway station is two blocks ahead."

As they got closer, their mouths dropped open in surprise.

"Holy Molly!" Carter spoke for everybody. "Do you see that?"

"Is it what I think?" asked Newkirk, his eyes fixed on the bomb embedded in the street, in front of the railway station.

"Yes," Hans sighed. "It was dropped last night. The authorities have been trying to secure this part of the city but it's hard with situations happening everywhere else."

"Boy, that baby is still ticking," Carter said.

"Then, we won't get close," said LeBeau.

"I'm afraid that's exactly what we have to do." Hans pointed at the railway station. "Your contact is waiting for you over there."

"Is he crazy?." Carter asked.

"That's his way."

"Who is that Franz?" LeBeau asked.

"He works for us at the SS Headquarters in Freegstadt. He collected the names of spies and agents working for the allies in German territories. His name is on that list. I promised to put it in a safe place." He stopped up the car. "He won't cooperate if he sees too many people."

Newkirk smirked. "I'll go, then."

"I'll go with you," Hans said. "You two wait for us in the Hofbrau."

Newkirk followed Hans through the station. Despite the bomb outside, there were people waiting for the trains.

Franz was in a corner. He was a small man, dressed in black, with his hat down to his eyebrows and thick prescription glasses that concealed most of his face. He looked at Newkirk and stepped back. Hans came forward to make the introductions.

Franz got over his own wariness and showed Newkirk a piece of paper. "105 names. If the SS in Berlin gets this list, they're all dead." He saw Newkirk put it away. "What are you doing? You can't take it with you. Read it and destroy it, now."

Newkirk chuckled. "You've got to be kidding. I have a good memory, but I don't think I can memorize 105 names."

"Do as many as you can. You'll be saving the lives of the names you memorize. Even if it's only one." Franz said goodbye to Hans and disappeared.

"I'll wait outside," said Hans.

Newkirk brushed his forehead. This was too much to ask. A thought came to mind. He was alone, the train was about to arrive. He could go anywhere near Switzerland. "And you'd ruin your life forever." He sat down. Using all his concentration, he began to read.

* * *

**1 hour after the bomb**

Kinch read the message aloud. Hogan could not stay in one place. "Freegstadt's railway station, are you sure?"

"The bomb was in the street since last night. They hadn't secured the perimeter yet."

"We have to go there, Kinch." Hogan frowned. "Is Schultz going out today?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, he is," Hogan grinned. "Look in the motor pool, see what needs to be repaired. Something in the engine, spare pieces..."

"Like what?"

"Like the kind you can only get on the way to Freegstadt."

Newkirk woke up. He was certain that he had only hours to live. Who would give Mavis the news? Some hot shot behind a desk? No, Colonel Hogan would personally write a letter. He might even take time to fly to England and deliver it personally. They would talk about Newkirk over tea and biscuits.

"Karl, do you have a family?"

The German tilted his head. "Wife and kids; a boy and a girl."

"Here?"

"I sent them away yesterday, right before... Well, they are at their grandparents' in Frankfurt."

"Did someone warn you about the raid?" Newkirk frowned.

"I suppose it doesn't matter anymore, since we both are almost dead. My department intercepted a code message indicating the time and day of the attack. They ordered us to keep quiet about it but I had to put my family in a safe place, right?"

Newkirk shrugged. "Every army is the same, innit?"

"Was your family in London during the Blitz?"

"Yeah, but they're all right now."

The silence settled on them for a while, as the brigades began to pick up the wounded and show the exit to the ones who could walk.

A terrifying thought flashed through Newkirk's mind.

"No!" He yelled. He could not die; not today, not like that. His head was full of names ready to be delivered as a matter of life and death.

Hans was close enough to watch the Englishman struggling to free his legs. He stretched and pulled almost to the brink of collapse.

"What are you doing?" Hans grabbed Newkirk's shoulders. "You're hurting yourself."

"Can't stay here! Let go! Got to go back- to-" He woke up. "Hans!" He grabbed the man's sleeve. "It's happening!"

"No, it's okay. You're just in pain; and the heat-"

"There's no choice, you have to do it!" Newkirk looked at the main door where the rescue brigade was preparing to enter. "They're coming back... Can't go with them! Hans, you've got to do it now..." His head dropped on Hans' shoulder.

"I can't, " he shook his head. "You know I can't."

"Please..." Newkirk's voice faded away. "You know I can't go with them..."

Hans reached for the knife in his pocket and stared at it. He turned to Newkirk unconscious on his shoulder; he was so quiet. He would feel no pain.

"Hans, you're not going to do it, are you?" Karl squinted. "Come on, don't listen to him, he's delirious." The silence was frightening. "What's so important in what he knows that he has to die for it?" There was no answer. "I've been here all the time, he hasn't said anything relevant! I've forgotten everything he's said!"

Hans did not move or react. His hands began to tremble.

"Hans! Don't do it! It's not worth it!"

"Stop yelling!" Hans shouted. "I can't do it! It's just insane; I know Newkirk won't talk." He put the knife away. "And you stop nosing around!"

* * *

**2 hours after the bomb**

Schultz was near Freegstadt when Hogan jumped from behind his seat. "Colonel Hogan! What are you doing here?"

"Something terrible has happened, I need the car," Hogan said, climbing over to take the wheel and pushing Schultz to the copilot seat.

"What's going on?" Hogan drove the car back to town. "No, no, no. I don't want to go there. The allies just destroyed everything."

"We have to," Hogan said. "Carter, LeBeau and Newkirk are there."

"What? No."

"Yes. You don't want to know why," Hogan turned a corner and he saw his men running down the street.

"At last, Colonel, how good to see you!" Carter gasped. "It was awful."

"You'll tell us later, where's Newkirk?" Hogan asked.

"At the train station, three blocks ahead." LeBeau said.

"There was this huge bomb in the middle of the street and-" Carter went on with the story while they drove.

Chaos was everywhere. Firefighter trucks and army volunteers were removing the debris.

"How many people are still in there?" Hogan asked.

"Fifteen, including Newkirk." LeBeau said. "He's trapped under a ton of concrete. We couldn't move him."

"He sent us out to tell you what happened," said Carter.

"You left him alone?" Schultz asked.

"No, he's not alone," Carter said.

"How do we enter without being noticed?" asked Hogan.

"We can crawl through the main entrance with the volunteers," LeBeau said.

Hogan grinned. "Schultz, you'll enter with the rescue brigade over there, just like a real member of the German Army."

* * *

**3 hours after the bomb**

Newkirk opened his eyes, wondering why he was still alive. Panic set in when he realized that Hans was not in sight.

"Colonel, he's awake," LeBeau announced.

Newkirk sat up as far as he could and reached out. Hogan was already there to take his hand. "When did you get here?"

"Almost an hour ago." Hogan smiled.

"I told you we were coming back," Carter said.

"Here they come." LeBeau pointed at a group of uniformed men moving towards them.

"No! Colonel, I can't go with them!" Newkirk gasped for air. "I've got everything in me head, if I talk in dreams-"

"What's he talking about?" asked Hogan.

"Newkirk memorized the list that Franz gave us," Hans explained in whispers.

"All of it?" He was impressed. "We've got to take him out."

The brigade began to work on the concrete beam. Hogan nodded at his group to step aside. They saw with relief that Schultz came along with the stretcher.

"No. Take Karl first," Newkirk raised one arm to grab Hogan's sleeve.

The colonel assessed Karl's condition. "You're on top of him, Newkirk, you have to be first."

The Englishman endured the pain when his friends lifted him up and laid him down on the stretcher. He turn towards Karl. Both men finally met.

"Peter Newkirk," he said stretching his hand to the German.

"Karl Reisenmaier." He shook Newkirk's hand. "I'm a captain."

"Who would've known by the way you talked," Peter chuckled. "See you later, mate."

"Later, mein Freund."

Schultz ordered the brigade to place Newkirk inside his car. "I'll take him to the hospital." Once the men were gone, Hogan sneaked his group in the car.

"Shall we drop you somewhere, Hans?"

"No, thank you, Colonel. I'll stay to clean up." He waved to Carter and LeBeau and walked away.

Carter and LeBeau squeezed in the front seat. The colonel took the back seat and made Newkirk rest his head on his lap.

"Gov'nor-" he said in a whisper. "The names... "

"Later."

"No... now," Newkirk opened his right hand. Hogan took a piece of paper.

"The list, you still had it," he smiled.

"I lost it in the blast... Karl just gave it back to me." He closed his eyes.

Schultz drove back to Hammelburg and dropped Carter and LeBeau at one side of the road. He stared at the three men blending with the crowd. "Colonel Hogan-"

"They'll be at the Stalag when we come back, I promise," Hogan said.

At the hospital, Schultz took charge as a sergeant escorting a couple of POW. Despite the hours under concrete and debris, Newkirk had only a broken ankle.

"What was he doing in Freegstadt?" Schultz asked, not expecting an answer. Hogan did not say anything.

Several minutes passed before they talked again.

"This is the story, Newkirk had a terrible accident at the Stalag. There was no time to warn the kommandant. I brought you with me because you're the Englander's superior officer." Schultz did not take his eyes from the tiles. "That's the story I'm sticking with."

"Sounds good," Hogan grinned.

"Now, we only need to know that Newkirk is going to be all right."

"He will." Hogan sighed.

Three hours later, they knew that Newkirk's injuries would require surgery and staying the night.

"Schultz, we have to keep an eye on Newkirk every second. He might talk in his sleep, don't pay attention, let's just keep him quiet, all right?""

"Certainly," Schultz almost saluted Hogan. Suddenly, he felt one of the guys, and the most amazing thing was that he did not care at all.

* * *

**20 hours after the bomb**

Klink was at the entrance of his office waiting for Hogan to come out Barrack 2. His face was tense while his hands squeezed his riding crop.

"Colonel Hogan! What is that about Corporal Newkirk's accident?"

"It was terrible."

"Why wasn't I informed immediately?"

"It happened too fast. The injuries were rather serious and there was no time to waste. Sergeant Schultz acted expeditiously."

"What was he doing on the roof?"

"Fetching our volleyball."

"A volleyball? Don't you have more?"

"That's the one that still bounces," said Hogan.

"We'll provide your man with everything he needs to complete his recovery." Klink said. "I trust you'll commend our concern and prompt intervention when the envoys of the Red Cross come within three weeks."

"As long as Newkirk has everything he needs, we're satisfied."

* * *

**24 hours after the bomb**

Newkirk shuffled his cards, bored of being alone in the barrack. He smiled to see Hans coming up through the trapdoor under Kinch's bunk. "Newkirk, I've brought you a present." He gave him back the knife_. _"I almost used it, you know? I was about to cut your throat open when Karl stopped me."

"Karl?"

"He begged me to spare you."

"And where's he now? Have you seen him?"

Hans shook his head with honest sorrow. "He didn't make it. He just went down hill right after they took you out. Some broken artery, they said."

Newkirk thought of Karl's children, waiting for their father. "Bloody damned war," he whispered.

"Are you all right? Sorry for the bad news. He seemed a nice fellow for a German soldier."

Newkirk nodded. "Thank you for taking time to come."

The man left and Newkirk was alone again. He closed his eyes for a moment. There was still sunlight when he woke up. Hogan was sitting at the table.

"That was a straight hour," he said. "You should rest more."

"Heard about Karl?."

"It's all right to feel sorry for him."

"He turned out to be a good chap after all. He kept the list safe."

"And you too," Hogan tilted his head. "What was that about asking Hans to kill you?"

"I didn't trust myself with all those names in me head." He stretched to release the tension in his shoulders. "I'm too tired to sleep."

Hogan walked towards him. "Maybe this will help. You'd like to know that the artillery in London stopped the German raid before it hit the populated areas. Your sister's hometown is safe."

Newkirk could feel his heart pounding.

"That's not all. London would've loved to give you a medal for what you did but instead, they sent one of their own to your sister's. Without many details, they asked her to write you a note, guaranteed that it would not go through any censorship whatsoever. It's not much considering the short time notice, but, it's from Mavis, anyway." He handed it to Newkirk.

"Colonel,"

"It's all right, I only expect you to get some real sleep after you've read it, okay?" Hogan turned to leave.

"Colonel," Newkirk called him back. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I almost deserted back in Freegstadt. "

Hogan salute him with a smile. "Welcome back, then, Corporal Newkirk."

**The End**


End file.
